Undeniably, contemporary times has revealed to us how deeply ingrained patriarchy is in our societies. A bitter truth to swallow, most especially for the men in the positions of power, is that the very structures that permit their success is what prevents it for their female counterparts. Women’s fight for equality has been fought for numerous decades by both women in the past and currently in the present. What Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver does excellently is provide an inside view into the lives of women who face the darker sides of patriarchy’s consequences.

In the first few minutes, the film sets itself up to seem to be quite light and to mainly tackle death and the Spanish culture that surrounds it. It was quite eerie how most of the main characters, namely Raimunda, Sole, and Paula, were cleaning the graves of their recently deceased mother. In addition to this, there is also the little tidbit that certain individuals actually buy a plot of land to be their grave and clean it regularly until they have to use it. From here on, the film fully embraces death as one of its central themes and leads to more darker events occurring.

As the family of Raimunda separates, it is revealed that the condition of her house is not desirable, to say the least. It is revealed that her husband, Paco, is quite a poster boy of bums. Unemployed and potentially an alcoholic, Paco can be said to be a good for nothing husband, and even worse, a deplorable father. He is unable to keep his sexual desires in check which eventually leads him to attempt to rape his own daughter. In retaliation, Paula murders her own father for this. What is endearing and a tad bit questionable is how, upon the discovery of these events, Raimunda does not hesitate to take the fall for Paula and immediately sets into action a plan to keep this a secret within the family. Thus begins numerous revelations that surface to Raimunda and her family throughout the duration of the film.

The main revelation that is pertinent is how this cycle of abuse, both physical and emotional, are present generationally in the lives of Raimunda’s family. At the core of all this is the mystery surrounding the inferno that took the lives of Raimunda and Sole’s parents. Up until the time of the death of another family member, their mother was thought to have been consumed by the fire, in the loving arms of their father. However, with the sudden reappearance of Raimunda and Sole’s mother, the absolute truth finally comes out. Their mother was fully aware of their mother’s infidelity, how this was a daily occurence. Yet, what caused her much indignation was when she found out that her own daughter, Raimunda was a victim of rape in the hands of her husband. With her rage, she set the hut where her husband was lying with the mother of Agustina, faking her death in the process. This was both able to reveal why Raimunda easily came to the defense of Paula as well as why Raimunda had grown to despise her own mother.

What is commendable with Almodóvar is that he did not shy away from these unspoken realities that women face. Incest, and later on, cheating are occurrences that women have learned to deal with in silence. The main difference with the family of Raimunda is that they take a stand against these injustices, taking fate into their own hands and preventing themselves to become another victim of men.

What stood out with the Clouds of Sils Maria is how it mainly featured a cast of non-Europeans. Immediately, one is greeted by familiar Hollywood actresses with the likes of Kristen Stewart, and later on, Chloë Grace Moretz. For the greenhorn to European film, the thought that comes to mind is how come these actresses were placed in this film and most especially alongside a veteran such as Juliette Binoche. Even the most unfamiliar with European film can tell how talented Binoche is despite only seeing her for the a few minutes in the film. She commands the attention as the main protagonist gracefully and seems to fully combine her role as Maria Enders with who she really is—a seasoned actress who has been prestigiously awarded. What came as a delightful surprise was how both Stewart and Moretz were able to hold their own alongside Binoche. They were able to fulfill their characters as the young, angsty, and mysterious assistant to Enders and the Lindsay Lohan-esque character portrayed by Stewart and Moretz respectively. Clouds of Sils Maria proved to be both a physically and intellectually provocative film that dealt with feminist themes as well as adding a bit of homosexuality into the mix.

The film focused mainly on the relationship between Enders and Valentine (Stewart) as the former was presented with the reality of time. Majority of the earlier scenes of the film is devoted to Enders reminiscing on her prime as a young actress. The main point which she always highlights was her breakthrough role in a play turned film entitled Maloja’s Snake. To say that she embraced her role as Sigrid in this work would be an understatement as Enders personally admits that she sees herself as that character, and that playing her foil, Helena, would be equivalent to suicide. The build up of the film is quite slow up until the point where Enders reluctantly acquiesces to a director that wishes to remake Maloja’s Snake, with the catch that she plays Helena instead.

From this point onwards, we see Enders attempt to unravel various issues that hinder her from portraying the role of Helena. The realities of aging and waning femininity are presented in a manner which is unpretentious and relatable even to those who are non-female. What aides in this is how the narrative of the film slowly, yet casually, melds with the narrative of Maloja’s Snake. Maria Enders slowly becomes what she detests, unaware that she is embracing the bitterness and vulnerability of Helena as a woman past her prime. Valentine steps up to become the object of Helena’s obsession, transforming to be Enders’s very own Sigrid. This unsurmountable desire for youthfulness is what gives way for the film’s more provocative scenes. The hunger Enders possesses for youthfulness and her inability to come to terms with the femininity that comes with her age takes the form of Valentine’s supple and pristine body. Countless scenes are devoted to show Enders’s sexualized gaze on Valentine, placing emphasis on how deeply Enders craves the youthfulness and demeanor she naturally lost to time.  

The turning point for Enders exacts the toll of having Valentine depart from her life completely, with little to no explanation. The audience is then introduced to a more docile and somewhat dimmer version of what was Maria Enders. Signifying her acceptance of time’s effects, Enders is seen to submit easily when Moretz’s character ignores her pleas to share the spotlight with her.

Clouds of Sils Maria is able to unabashedly relay a universal tale of dealing the realities of youthfulness and femininity that is delivered across despite of having a male director at the helms. The centrality of the women in the narrative bolsters the genuineness of the difficulty of facing the said realities.

Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren’s Heavy Trip relays the story of an upstart heavy metal band’s journey towards their long standing dream of reaching stardom. Turo, who is also the main protagonist for the film, is part of a four man band whose name was unknown despite having been formed years prior. The other members of the unnamed band are Lotvonen, Jynkky, and Pasi. Combined with a unique cast of larger than life individuals, Heavy Trip is able to tackle factual matters ludicrously without overselling nor underselling the punchline. From start to finish, Heavy Trip is able to present itself as a familiar and comedic narrative of how the underdogs slowly gain their rightful place without taking itself too seriously.

The familiarity with Heavy Trip immediately arises from the very beginning of the film. Few minutes into the film, it isn’t made a secret how these four men are perceived  in their small town. Their outlandish appearances and interest in heavy metal music has turned them into good for nothing outcasts—a nameless band with, quite literally, nothing to their name. Heavy Trip capitalizes on this familiar, Hollywood style narrative of redemption for the band of misfits who seems to have nothing right going for them. Perhaps this is the magic that the film has up its sleeve. It takes the familiarity of the said Hollywood trope and morphs it in its own idiosyncratic, Finnish way. Touches such as how Lotvonen’s day job is working at his family’s reindeer farm bolsters the film’s uniquely Finnish mark.

For a film that has heavy metal music so deeply ingrained into it, I believe that the direction it took was a necessary one. Having heavy metal music as the focal point is a difficult challenge to overcome. This genre of music, to the casual listener, is typically foreign territory due to it being commonly seen as an acquired taste. The almost incoherent lyrics combined with harsh instrumentals often cause the unfamiliar to stray away almost completely and immediately. However, heavy metal did not become a hindrance towards the film, but instead enriched the narrative even further. What Heavy Trip capitalized on is the endearing qualities of its cast, bolstered even further by the protagonists’ love for heavy metal. The audience is deeply immersed in the journey which the band takes towards there long sought after stardom. The gradual build up from their practice in Lotvonen’s basement, to creating their very first demo tape, to finally playing at Northern Damnation in Norway allows viewers to naturally root for these misunderstood underdogs.

Comedic up to the last minute, Heavy Trip rightfully pays tribute to its heavy metal roots while maintaining its distinct Finnish flair. Rather than alienating with heavy metal music, it chose to take a lighter and less serious approach to it. It presented the genre in a universal manner through the relationship of individuals who have been deeply invested into it. If one thing can be said, love for music is transcendental and the film capitalized on it excellently.

The blood and gore displayed in Raw are but the surface level of what makes this film standout. It is all but natural that blood and gore factor in as majority of the shock value all throughout the film yet what stands out even more are the themes weaved so masterfully along with its grotesqueness.

Often, the sexual maturation of a woman can become quite a heated and messy topic to discuss. If not in a manner of sexual emancipation and the willfulness of the female to truly live out her bodily desires, shame and disgust is often at the forefront instead. What is fascinating with Raw is how it blends both of these ends of the spectrum giving each its respective time in the spotlight. The femme fatale and main protagonist of the film is Justine, who seems to act quite docile for the very first minutes of the film. What comes at the delight (or disgust for some) is how immediately this front of hers is shattered and in its place comes something quite visceral and violent.

In the early part of the film, it was established that Justine, her older sister in college, Alexia, and their mother are all adamant vegetarians. The reason behind this remains unknown for only a short while as it is revealed that they are a family of cannibals. Justine’s baptism into her cannibalistic tendencies could not have been any more repulsive yet intriguing. Her first piece of meat was a raw rabbit’s kidney that ushered her towards sparking within her the insatiable desire for flesh. As if her body knew that it was an act equivalent to sacrilege, it acts out violently through rashes that eventually give way to her more carnal tendencies. It begins gradually, with chicken meat but slowly escalate to one of the most memorable scenes of the film—Justine devouring her very own sister’s chopped off finger. From here on, the audience soon understands the extent of their voraciousness for human meat as well as why their mother made them vegetarians.

Unexpectedly, the sexual maturation of Justine goes hand-in-hand with her growth as a cannibal. As she grew more brazen in pursuit of fulfilling her meat fix, the more overtly sexual she became. Personally, I believe that this is quite an apt, albeit extreme, metaphor of the reality that women face in their journey of discovering their sexualities. One cannot help but cite the double standard they face, in which men are rewarded with praise with their plentiful sexual conquests while women receive scorn for it. Undoubtedly, one cannot equate cannibalism to sex but the adverse reactions other have to their perversity cannot be ignored.

What Raw does excellently is the manner of interpretation it has on cannibalism. The gore within the film is not overtop but not lacking—despite the reaction of disgust on the surface, one has to admit that a primal urge was awakened within them. There is a finesse in the manner the film attacked the whole issue of cannibalism which in the end provoked an inner sense of kinship with the cannibalistic tendencies of the family.

To those born at the verge of the 21st century, the memories of Germany’s division because of the Berlin Wall is but a mere lesson contained in history books. The wall created many divisions that took roots in the physical division but fully manifested in the ideological division that East and West Berlin had respectively. What The Edukators sought to capitalize on is the ideological division that haunted the unified Germany. Years after the collapse of the full, certain anti-capitalist sentiments are found in the disgruntled lower classes who enjoy the benefits of capitalism the least. This very clash of both the pro-capitalist and anti-capitalist sentiment is at the very core of the film. The main protagonists of the film are a ragtag group of self-proclaimed anti-capitalist teenagers, comprising of Jan, Peter, and Jule, who brand themselves as “The Edukators,” whose main objective was to strike fear into the bourgeois sector of Berlin’s society.

Although there was glimpses of artistry in the non-violent vandalism that The Edukators did, the film was unable to sustain this and eventually fell into the trap of devoting excessive amounts of time in the overdevelopment of the characters. Rather than fully capitalizing on the potentially interesting perspective of capitalism for those born into a reunified Germany, the film chooses to devote most of its time in the petty affairs of the group. It is for this very reason that one can easily dismiss how passionate The Edukators truly are for their cause against capitalism.

The film falls flat once it chooses to shift the focus of the narrative to be solely on the dynamic of the group. The anti-capitalist dissipates completely despite having kidnapped one of the bourgeois individuals who placed Jule in a huge debt. Despite being placed in such a precarious situation, the petty affairs of the group continue to remain as their main topic of conversation. Hardenberg, the individual who they kidnapped, is who the audience is able to empathize with easily since he has to deal with the love affair between the group and the pettiness of it all. Despite the film’s attempt to incorporate the clash between pro-capitalist and anti-capitalist during this part, it feels forced given how the film conveniently remembers that it was intended to discuss the ideological difference regarding capitalism. The integrity of their dedication towards the cause is highly doubtful at this point given how what is imprinted in the minds of the audience is how typical that they choose to prioritize their obnoxious problems over their ideology.

Put succinctly, The Edukators was film that had much potential in it. Discussing the ideology behind anti-capitalist sentiment from the perspective of teenagers could have been an interesting topic to pick apart. However, the film chose to completely derail from this path and go the obvious path of discussing the typical lives and problems faced by teenagers. What promised to be an insightful and thought-provoking film in the first few minutes lead to great disappoint that makes the viewer feel deeply unsatisfied.

The use of the theme of time travel can often lead to quite a perilous place. There is a necessary logic as well as delicateness that seems to be demanded upon entering its realm. Done thoughtlessly, time travel can become a point of contention, causing confusion and instability to the audience. However, the meticulousness can often lead to great payoffs—as what can be seen in the film Los Cronocrímenes or Timecrimes.

What stands out immediately is how organic the entirety of the film is. Despite of how integral time travel is within the film, there is a lack of extensive set designs or added special effects and oddly enough it works to the advantage of the film. Rather than bank solely on the inherently sci-fi nature of time travel, it overtakes it and uses dread and suspense to give the film its own take on time travel. Whatever fascination is often associated with the possibility of time travel is taken out the window by Timecrimes and places it under a more sinister and ominous perspective.

The main protagonist of the film is Héctor, an unassuming man who seems to be quite mild mannered, if not, a tad bit of a stereotypical man. The sound track lends itself well to the suspenseful theme that the film is going for. One is immediately on guard because this is not the typical time travel movie that deals with fanciful things such as correcting a decision in the past. Instead, what is revealed that it becomes more of an internal issue that, unfortunately, involves a few unsuspecting casualties.

The time loop within the film is set off by Héctor himself in an attempt to escape an anonymous bandaged man who set out to murder him. Slowly, it is built up that the very man who set everything in motion was Héctor himself. Soon, the events that were dreaded a few minutes beforehand now come into light. Through the very actions of Héctor, he has doomed himself in a time loop with no foreseeable escape.

It is this sudden twist of events that cause the audience to divert their emotional investment of support and empathy for Héctor to disappointment and aloofness. He is revealed to be a more despicable individual than what he lead on himself to be. Self-centered and conniving, all his actions that ultimately placed him in the situation he finds himself in also involved others as collateral damage. Manipulating time has brought out the worst in Héctor, turning him into a sort of rampaging beast that sought his self-interest that unfortunately lead to no avail.

Timecrimes was available to provide a different and darker perspective with regards to individuals meddling with time continuum. This very nature of the film is what lended itself so easily to utilize a soundtrack and shots that complemented its intention of a more sinister tone. It’s lack of flashy effects and extensively designed sets allowed the feeling of dread to sink in deeper due to its simplicity and bareness further accentuating the mood.

Perhaps one of the best things regarding Europe as a whole is the diversity of culture it has. Comprising of numerous countries with their respective cultural subtleties, each region has their own lore that they can share towards a wider audience. This is exactly what can be seen in Trollhunters as the film focuses mainly on finding out whether the trolls of fantastical, childhood stories can actually be found throughout Norway. Personally, I believe that the reverence cultures have for their respective mythological creatures is a universal experience. With this in mind, Trollhunters was able to completely utilize this in an exciting yet appropriately themed adventure in pursuit of the trolls of legend across Norway.

The style that the film was shot in was in a found footage style which created a sort of cinematic experience that felt as if the audience was along with the crew as the material was being shot. Aside from this, there is also the clear focus of the film on distinctly Norwegian characteristics that further bolstered the tone overall. Being a film about trolls in Norway, I believe that the meticulousness behind this is much appreciated. All throughout the film, the audience feels a pervasive coldness that makes the individuals in the film be characterized accordingly. There are moments of excitement or other intense emotions, but in a comparative sense, these are much toned down especially given the fact that they are face-to-face with the mythological creatures in majority of the scenes.

Another touch that helped the film become more memorable is the addition of Hans, who was soon revealed to be a troll hunter hired by the government. In the face of the unknown, he acted as their sole connection to a world that was previously unimaginable. Hans’s gruff exterior soon gave way as he developed a relationship with the college students, who can also be said to be the main protagonists of the film, who documented his exploits.

Although the entire film can be said to have quite the cold demeanor similar to the climate in Norway, there were still moments that gave way to warmth. Such instances would be the comedic moments between Hans and the students. One of the more memorable scenes in the film is where Hans cautioned the group about the appetite of trolls for devout Christians. Religion jokes are always a sure-hit but what made it more effective was the serious manner in which Hans delivered this fact which left both the students and the audience questioning whether he was serious or not.

Despite of going with the trend of having a documentary style film, what distinguishes Trollhunters is how it did not utilize it excessively. The stayed true to the style by having the prerequisite messy shots but not obsess on it. The film did not bank merely on its style of shooting but instead was able to relay an interesting narrative that was able to bring to life a mythical creature believed only to exist in fairy tales.

Perhaps the most challenging film to watch throughout the whole semester, Holy Motors is the epitome of what art cinema is. With a runtime almost spanning for two hours, Holy Motors is no easy watch most especially to those with little to no background in the more eccentric side of European film. A fair warning that should be given to anyone who is interested in watching the film—take everything you know about movies and throw it out of the window. Holy Motors is undeniably a challenging watch but is rewarding in its own way, distant from how one derives it in most films.

The film starts off with Oscar, who can be said to be our main protagonist, journeying from his home towards his workplace. Given his appearance being a suit and tie, one would assume that he is headed towards the city’s business district. What comes as the biggest surprise is that he actually works as an actor for hire of sorts. The limousine he rides is filled with a plethora of items needed for a costume, ranging from wigs and to silicone face skins. Throughout the entire film, what the audience is given is a complete disclosure of the work which “Oscar” (given that we can now only assume that to be his name) does. From the most innocent, such as acting as an impoverished old woman who begs on a bridge, to the most bizzare, acting as a deranged homeless man who bites off the fingers of a woman. There is no discussion of any sort to elaborate as to who Oscar truly is and why he does this nature of work. The transitions of the film move from one role to another, leaving the audience to ascertain for themselves who Oscar is and what are his motivations for doing such work.

The folly, perhaps, when faced with a film as eccentric as Holy Motors is to analyze it in a similar way one does with Hollywood films. I think that behind the oddity that one feels while watching the film, it also provides an opportunity to discuss the role of acting. Quite meta given that a film with actors is discussing how acting can be but it deserves the merit of being highlighted. As it stands, Oscar is seen from beginning to end working various roles with little to no regard beyond his basic needs, such as for food and rest. This life can be said to be analogous to what a handful of actors face. Once they hit it big, they become primed to be automatically prepared to take on the next role in order to further the career high they are enjoying. Holy Motors can be seen as a critique as to how varied the roles an individual can have on a daily basis. Neglecting to see that behind all these roles is the core of our humanity, it drives one to lose their identity making everyday reality seem like a chore.

As the film wraps up, it amps up the oddity even further as we see that Oscar is left behind to become a part of a family of monkeys. However, the message has already been sent across. There is a certain degree of artistry and vindication when it comes to entering and exiting multiple performative roles, may it be on the scale of daily life or one similar to Oscar’s.

What can be said to be on the opposite side of the spectrum placed vis-a-vis to The Edukators is Good Bye, Lenin! Both films present their own take on the historic division that was caused by the Berlin Wall back in the 1990s. The difference with Good Bye, Lenin! is that it tackles the ideological division a bit closer compared to The Edukators.

In the film, we are immediately introduced to Alex (who is also portrayed by Daniel Brühl) whose family is found on the Eastern side of the German divide. What is established in the earlier portions of the film is the lifestyle their family has given the socialist nature of their government. From their external roles, down to the kind of food they eat, Alex and his family are truly living the socialist life. All of their clothes are hand-me-downs and the instant food they have is only one single brand that all of their comrades have. Immediately after this is established, the stability of their family is rocked, both in a familial sense and in a societal sense. First, their mother suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. Soon right after, the Berlin Wall was declared to be torn down in order finally merge the two separate sides of Germany.

One would expect the film to take a darker turn given the way events played out but instead it surprises the viewers and comically elaborates on all the changes that occurred almost overnight. The once bright future which both Alex and his sister possessed had been tossed aside given their desire to become a part of the alluring capitalist system. His sister, Ariane, drops her pursuit for a college degree, and begins to work at a Burger King that seems to have magically popped out of nowhere. For Alex, he starts working at a company that sells and installs satellite dishes. All seems to be well for the meantime up until the point that their mother reawakens to a Germany she no longer knows.

Mainly through the efforts of Alex, he and his sister attempt to reenact the normalcy of life they had in East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell. One can argue that it was foolish of them not to break the news to their mother rather than create a false world but one cannot disagree that this was one of the elements that worked well in the film. Given the lighthearted nature that the film undertook in tackling the ideological difference of East and West, it was unsurprising to see that Alex and his sister did the most outrageous things to convince their mother that East Germany still stood. The ridiculousness of it all gives way to the endearing love they possess for their mother.

The inevitability of the claws of capitalism intruding into the safe haven of Alex’s family finally came in the form of a Coca-Cola ad. What sealed the deal after this was how the one time that their mother left their apartment was also the same time a helicopter was carrying a beheaded Lenin.

All in all, Good Bye, Lenin! was a lighthearted film that took the serious affair of varying ideologies and made it more personal through the perspective of a family caught in the middle of such a great change.

The overall feel of Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth’s The Five Obstructions can simply be described as a peculiar yet fascinating experience. The film, shot in a pseudo-documentary style, primarily focuses on the mentor-mentee relationship between von Trier and Leth. The latter is the renowned filmmaker of a 13 minute short film entitled The Perfect Human (1968), which von Trier tasks him to remake a total of five times. In order to make things more interesting, von Trier also places certain limitations in each of Leth’s remaking of the movie consequently giving the film its name, The Five Obstructions.  

The film immediately starts with Leth speaking to von Trier about the task of remaking he is about to undertake. The audience is left with little to no idea as to who these individuals are and what the reason for their actions is. The anonymity given to von Trier is what can lead the audience to see him as a despicable figure. Demanding and extremely inconsiderate of Leth, von Trier can be seen for the most part as a masochist who enjoys seeing Leth struggle and become frustrated with the limitations he has placed. Given this context, one is naturally drawn to root for Leth as he faces the endeavors contained in each of von Trier’s obstructions. Leth’s demeanor lends itself towards this as well since he can be seen as an earnest and hardworking individual, unquestioning and constantly putting up with whatever tricks von Trier comes up with.

What is greatly appreciated across the various challenges which is hurdled towards Leth is the undeniable talent that he possesses. Although bits of The Perfect Human are gradually shown to the audience, the transformation it undertakes with Leth at the helm is breathtaking. He injects new life to a the same film he had made years prior without losing its essence in the process. May it be a difference in editing or a complete overhaul of art style, as seen when he transformed it through animation, Leth is a capable director and his work stands as the very proof of this.

Eventually, as any individual subjected to what can be said to be torture, Leth snaps at von Trier due to his unreasonable demands and seemingly unending list of conditions. Leth decides to jump ship and let his creativity flow. He completely took the helm during the latter portions of the film and recreated the scenes with him having the last say.

What can be considered to be the climax of the film went hand-in-hand with von Trier revealing that his intention in constantly challenging Leth was to inspire him to create films once more. The last few minutes of the film were dedicated to showcasing the complete and compiled version of the reinterpretation of The Perfect Human alongside the motivational words of von Trier for Leth.

The Five Obstructions is definitely a meta film at the very core. A film placed within a film, alongside the pseudo-documentary style it utilized, the deep investment of emotions from the audience is decently rewarded. The endearing motive behind the vexing role which von Trier had to play makes the entire film feel rewarding as there is redemption for both von Trier and Leth.